Notes, abstracts, papers, exams and problems of Music

Musical Elements and Their Definitions

The following are key elements in music:

• Melody: A succession of sounds of a certain pitch and duration.
• Scales: A series of notes sorted in ascending or descending order.
• Intervals: The distances between notes.
• Chords: Three or more notes sounding simultaneously.
• Meter: The measurement of the pulse.
• Rhythm: The regularity of accents, which can be:
  • Binary
  • Ternary
  • Quaternary

Aerophone Instruments: Classification and Examples

Aerophone instruments produce sound through the vibration of a column of air. They can be categorized as follows:

Bevel Obtuseness

The vibration is obtained when the column of air collides against the bevel and is divided in two:

• Front: Recorder, Pan Flute
• Lateral: Flute

Reed Mouthpiece

The sound is... Continue reading "Musical Elements, Instruments, and Forms: A Comprehensive Look" »

Elements of a Dramatic Text

• Acts constitute the most important division of a play, beginning with the rise and fall of the curtain.
• Some works' acts are divided into scenes, distinguished by a change of scenery.
• The scenes are part of an act, usually with no change of scene when a character enters or leaves.
• Dialogue between characters is the most important resource of a dramatic text.
• The monologue occurs when a single actor speaks.
• Characters, both major and minor, advance the dramatic action.
• Stage directions are indications that the author proposes (scenery, etc.).
• Asides are messages that go to the public, with actors pretending that the other characters do not hear them.

Elements of Staging

• The stage is where the actors are located.
• The

The Romantic Drama: Don Alvaro, The Troubadour, and Don Juan Tenorio

Key Features of Romantic Drama

Structure and Discourse

• Division of the work into composite days.
• Time in various settings.
• Mixture of verse and prose with a tendency towards polymetry.
• Breaking the rule of three unities, with secondary episodes and genre scenes.
• The conflict occurs in different places and may include jumps of years.
• Mixture of comical and tragic elements, in scenes of dramatic tension and other maxims of intense lyricism.
• High and colloquial styles.

Characters

• The protagonists are often unknown, noble, and generous, and are victims of a blind fate.
• Women love passionately but are condemned to killing and suffering.
• Many secondary characters appear.

Staging

• Staging had great

La Celestina: A Timeless Masterpiece

Since the 16th century, *La Celestina* has been the popular name for the work initially titled *Comedy of Calisto and Melibea* and later *Tragicomedy of Calisto and Melibea*. Attributed almost entirely to the scholar Fernando de Rojas, this transitional piece bridges the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Written during the reign of the Catholic Monarchs, its first known edition dates back to 1499. *La Celestina* laid the groundwork for the birth of the modern novel and theater.

Key Themes in La Celestina

• *The Fervor of Love*

  This theme centers on the uncontrollable desire that, while sometimes veiled in the conventions of courtly love, disregards all social and moral norms, ultimately leading to the downfall

Evolution of Western Music

A brief overview of key periods in Western music:

• The Middle Ages: V-XV Centuries
• The Renaissance: XV-XVI Centuries
• Baroque: 1600-1780
• Classicism: 1780-1800
• Romanticism: XIX Century
• Contemporary Music: XX Century

Gregorian Chant

Gregorian chant is not primarily intended as artistic expression. Instead, it serves the specific function of enhancing the spoken word. It is a cappella vocal music without instruments, monophonic (consisting of a single melody), and its rhythm depends on the length of words and phrases. The text is typically in Latin.

Polyphonic Music

Polyphonic music features two or more melodies sounding simultaneously, often referred to as Organum.

Madrigals

Madrigals are short polyphonic works of increasing complexity,... Continue reading "Evolution of Western Music: From Gregorian Chant to Romantic Opera" »

The Baroque Era

The term Baroque initially referred to a style characterized by complicated and irregular shapes in its lines. It then spread to other realms of art, like painting, sculpture, music, and especially literature. In Spain, it would reach a particular development.

Features and Style

The Baroque was a significant cultural movement manifested in literature, architecture, music, and fine arts. The 17th century is characterized by exaggeration and pessimism. In the literary field, the Baroque style has the following features:

• It highlights a special interest in language, marked by an aesthetic desire for originality.
• It is characterized by hyperbole, exaggeration, and corrosive wit.
• The world is seen as a struggle of opposites: life and,

Mozart and Opera

Mozart stands as one of the greatest composers in the history of opera. By the age of 12, he had already composed two operas, Bastien und Bastienne and La finta semplice. While charming, these early works weren't fully representative of his genius, as Mozart was still developing his understanding of dramatic texts. From The Abduction from the Seraglio onward, Mozart's operas defy easy categorization, each possessing unique traits. He demonstrated an unparalleled ability to express the full spectrum of human emotion, often blending serious and comic elements. Other significant works include The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, and his final opera, The Magic Flute.

Haydn and Oratorio

Haydn's contributions to oratorio came later... Continue reading "Classical Era Composers: Mozart, Haydn, and Gluck's Masterpieces" »

The popular literature had great vitality in the modern age. The songbook includes popular legendary songs, love songs, songs of thieves and bandits, religious songs, etc. The religious drama has a didactic purpose (passion, lives of saints), and the theater is of a profane nature, humorous (hors d'oeuvres and saints).
Renaixement: Taking ideas from humanism, it began in Italy and spread throughout Europe during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The idea of rebirth expresses the desire to restore the ideals of classical civilization (Seraph Peter and Christopher Despuig).
Baroque: This movement predominated in Europe, especially Spain and England, during the seventeenth century. It uses parody, satire, and caricature, which is another... Continue reading "The Evolution of European Literary Movements" »

How to Read a Musical Score: Basics

The Greeks invented the word "music." They believed these mythological creatures were wise men, and music was inspired by their thoughts. They said that music was the beginning of wisdom. Musical language is a graphical representation of sound. Letters are symbols that represent the pitch of the sound. Notes are placed on or under the staff lines. Additional ledger lines are added for notes too high or too low to be represented on the staff. A scale is a series of correlative sounds. Ascending is when the sound goes from low to high, and descending is the opposite. The staff is composed of five lines and four spaces, where the music is written. A clef is a symbol placed at the beginning of each staff... Continue reading "Understanding Musical Scores, Instruments, and Genres" »